Couple engaged, then married on Christmas Eve

Ashley and Aaron Amejorado stand in their special spot on Wednesday in DeLeon Plaza. Ashley and Aaron were married in the gazebo on Christmas Eve five years ago.

READERS RESPOND

We received 72 essays from our readers on their favorite Chriastmas memories.Ashley Amejorado, of Victoria, submitted the winning essay about her favorite Christmas memory. For her effort, she will receive a gift card for a facial at Woodhouse Day Spa.To read the memories, begin on this page, then turn to Pages B3, B4, B6 B7, B8.

Christmas Eve proposal

Helping busy holiday shoppers find the perfect last minute gifts for loved ones, and waiting for 6 p.m. to come, so I could go home and spend time with my family, is how my Christmas Eve started.

Little did I know, this day would be one that I would never forget.

At the end of work, I walked outside to much excitement. Could it actually be snowing? That would be enough to make anyone's Christmas dream come true. But what I didn't know was there was still one more surprise in store for me.

Christmas Eve was being hosted this year at my aunt's house, and I couldn't wait to hurry and join them. This year, I was bringing a date with me, my boyfriend, Aaron. Well, not long after we had arrived, Aaron gathered everyone around the living room, and gave this beautiful speech about when you meet that one special person, you just know - and you don't want to spend a day without them. Then he proposed, and of course I said "Yes!"

Two years later, on Christmas Eve, we got married at the gazebo downtown. Lights were hung everywhere, and it was truly magical.

He picked out a three-stoned diamond engagement ring, and had it sized for Ashley's dainty, size 3 1/2

So when an unexpected snow storm blew through Victoria on Christmas Eve 2004, Aaron decided the winter wonderland would make the perfect backdrop for a spontaneous holiday marriage proposal.

"She knew it was coming, she just didn't know when," Aaron, 25, said. "I just thought it would be a good night to do it, with the snow. It brought out my romantic side."

As white flakes blanketed the streets of Victoria, Aaron stood in a room of Ashley's relatives, and asked her to be his wife.

"He said something like, 'When you find that one person you want to spend your life with, you just know,'" Ashley Amejorado, 27, recalled. "And, of course, I said 'Yes.'"

The pair remained engaged for two years, aiming for a spring wedding. In that time, they had their first child, Cameryn, who is now 6 years old.

But as the months progressed, a wedding wasn't taking shape. And when the 2006 holidays rolled around, they decided to recreate the spontaneity of their engagement.

After a week of planning, Ashley and Aaron gathered a handful of close friends and family, and wed in an outdoor, Christmas Eve ceremony under a Christmas-decorated gazebo in DeLeon Plaza.

"It was so cold and I wore a white jacket over my dress. But the gazebo was all lit up with Christmas lights. It was nice," Ashley said.

"We'd probably still be planning the wedding if we hadn't done it like we did," Aaron chuckled.

Shivering in the cold with friends and family members on Christmas Eve in 2006, Aaron and Ashley exchanged vows, promising to love, honor and cherish one another.

Their spectators, including daughter Cameryn, spent Christmas Eve shivering under the stars, witnessing the union of two lifelong friends and former high school sweethearts.

"It was all so fast, but it was so special," Ashley said.

Following the ceremony, the newlyweds went to Ashley's family home for cake and celebratory toasts. Then, everyone celebrated Christmas, they said.

"We had our Christmas Eve after the wedding. You know, the holidays always sort of overshadow everything," Aaron said, smiling.

Five years have passed since the couple walked down aisle, yet each year of marriage is stronger than the one before.

Aaron is working on his duel associates degree in instrumentation and electronics at Victoria College. And Ashley works part-time at The Children's Place, and stays at home with Cameryn, and 19-month-old Caden.

The couple said Christmas will always hold a special meaning for them. In addition to regular Christmas celebrations, they take time to celebrate their wedding anniversary, and commitment to each other.

"For us, the holidays are a special time because it's a celebration of our marriage. It's a time for us to look back and remember," Aaron said.

The happily married Christmas couple claim they grow more in love as the years pass, and look forward to what the future holds.

"I've known him half my life. He knows me better than I know myself. He's my best friend," Ashley said. "I'm probably more in love with him now than we were in the beginning."

Agreeing with his bride, Aaron said, "We've realized we don't need a whole lot to be happy. As long as we've got each other, we'll be all right."